(270e) Material Flow Assessment of Plastic Additives: Influence of Polymer Type, Application, and Consumer Behavior at End-of-Life

Plastics are a ubiquitous material that, along with societal advances, have brought concerns of unintended consequences such as pollution to the forefront. Plastics are made by combining polymers with additives, which are included during the manufacturing process to structure the plastics to the product specifications for their commercial use and application. Material flow assessment (MFA) is a method used to track the flow of materials along different life cycle stages; here it is applied to track the flow of additives to estimate chemical releases. In this study the novelty lies in considering the application type and human behavior, which influence the ultimate end-of-life (EoL) of the plastic.

As a case study to demonstrate the use of the proposed framework, plastic commercial products made of different polymer types are tracked via MFA, with a focus on the EoL to study the additive releases. Two EoL pathways are considered, landfill and mechanical recycling, incorporating the influence of human behavior on EoL management practices. These outcomes subsequently determine the pathways of material release to both the biosphere and technosphere. Selecting an inappropriate waste bin for a given plastic type, often influenced by local locally available EoL management infrastructure, can significantly alter release pathways of embedded additives. These results can be applied to developing facility and manufacturer guidelines and recommendations that are people-centered rather than product-centered, where more realistic EoL management scenarios are considered.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the EPA.